Schwab Reports Strong First Quarter Results

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SCHW

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Charles Schwab Corporation announced today that its net income was $218 million for the first quarter of 2009, down 29% from the first quarter of 2008. The company’s first quarter results include a $26 million pre-tax gain relating to the repurchase of certain outstanding company debt, $14 million in pre-tax net impairment losses on certain mortgage-backed securities, and $59 million in pre-tax charges for severance and other costs relating to its previously announced expense reduction measures.

Chairman Charles Schwab said, “In an environment that has tested the confidence of every investor, we see our role in a very clear light – to do everything we can to help each of our clients find the right path forward, and to ensure that we have a stable and steady business here to serve them. Our solid first quarter results are a good reflection of the strength of that approach.”

Three Months Ended--March 31,--

%

Financial Highlights

2009

2008

Change

Net revenues (in millions)

$

1,111

$

1,307

(15%)

Net income (in millions)

$

218

$

305

(29%)

Diluted earnings per share

$

.19

$

.26

(27%)

Pre-tax profit margin

32.0

%

38.9

%

Return on stockholders’ equity (annualized)

21

%

33

%

CEO Walt Bettinger said, “Our business is about serving our valued clients – and they stayed actively engaged with us in the first quarter. Although the market environment remained challenging for investors, the latter part of the quarter did show some glimpses of improvement. In addition to bringing a total of $25 billion in net new assets to the company during the first quarter, clients opened 207,000 new brokerage accounts and active brokerage accounts reached 7.5 million at month-end March, up 4% year-over-year. Moreover, banking accounts and retirement plan participants totaled 508,000 and 1.5 million at quarter-end, up 60% and 20%, respectively, from their March 2008 levels. This strong growth in the midst of so much financial and economic uncertainty reminds us every day that a stable and client focused approach has never been more important to our clients. As we continue to expand the base of investors and savers working with Schwab, we remain committed to being worthy of the trust they place in us – not only as a healthy, enduring institution, but as a reliable ally in working towards a better financial future for every one of them.”

CFO Joe Martinetto commented, “Our balance sheet remains strong, with $4.3 billion in equity capital, a long-term debt to total capital ratio of 16%, and approximately $950 million in freely available cash. During the quarter, we took advantage of this strength and repurchased $64 million of our long-term debt, recognizing a one-time gain of $26 million pre-tax. Our net revenues for the first quarter were also affected by modest impairment losses of $14 million on some of the mortgage-backed securities collateralized by Alt-A mortgages that we own in our investment portfolios as long-term holdings. Our portfolios included Alt-A backed securities with an amortized cost of $758 million at quarter-end, which represented just under 2% of the company’s cash and investments.”

Mr. Martinetto continued, “The company’s core revenues were in line with our expectations given the environment. The overall decline in net revenues was limited to 15% – trading revenues were up 5% year-over-year, and asset inflows and further increases in client money market fund allocations helped mitigate declines in asset management and administration fees to 18% against equity valuations that remain down 30 to 40%. With our planned expense reduction measures essentially in place by early February, we were able to absorb the related charges and still lower expenses by 5% versus the first quarter of 2008. As a result, we achieved a 32% pre-tax profit margin and a 21% return on equity.”

Mr. Martinetto concluded, “As we finish up facilities and other work relating to our recent staffing reductions, we expect to recognize approximately $40 million in additional charges for the second quarter. Overall, we believe that the infrastructure and spending plans now in place for the company are appropriate for 2009 and strike the right balance between current profitability and investing for the future in a tough environment. With the economy and financial markets still so unsettled and no catalyst for higher rates on the horizon, revenue pressures from reduced asset valuations and low rates – including the need for significant money market fund fee waivers to provide at least a minimal level of return for our clients – may persist in future quarters. Our financial priorities remain unchanged – keeping Schwab positioned to deliver healthy financial performance in the current downturn, and to show rapidly improving results in tandem with any recovery.”

Business highlights for the first quarter (data as of quarter-end unless otherwise noted):

Investor Services

Net new accounts for the quarter totaled approximately 43,200, down 20% year-over-year. Total accounts reached 5.3 million as of March 31, 2009, up 3% year-over-year.

Introduced Schwab Real Life Retirement ™ Services to meet the needs of investors as they transition to retirement. The new destination on schwab.com – schwab.com/realliferetirement – provides Schwab expert answers to top investor questions as well as insights from real people who have made the transition to retirement.

Institutional Services

Advisor Services

Released a new Schwab Market Knowledge Tool® white paper that examines how some of the industry’s most successful advisors manage their businesses across five key categories: financial advice and investment management, relationship management, operations and client support, strategy and planning, and marketing and business development.

Corporate and Retirement Services

Retirement plans converted to Schwab administration during the quarter = 91, with approximately 107,000 participants (a quarterly record), compared with 38 plans and approximately 38,400 participants in 1Q08.

Introduced the Distribution Administration Outsourcing program, which is designed to enable third party administrators to outsource participant service functions to Schwab.

Introduced the Schwab Bank High Yield Investor Savings® Account with no minimums, no monthly service fees, and a variable annual percentage yield initially set at 2.00%.

Opened The Charles Schwab Personal Financial Planning Technology Complex at Texas Tech University, with the largest collection of professional software in any collegiate financial planning program in the United States. The complex was funded by a $1 million grant from the Charles Schwab Foundation.

This press release contains forward-looking statements relating to expense reductions and related charges, as well as revenue pressures and infrastructure and spending plans that reflect management’s current expectations. Achievement of these expectations is subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the expressed expectations. Important factors that may cause such differences include, but are not limited to, the company’s ongoing ability to identify, implement and sustain expense savings without disrupting its operations, the actual level of charges relating to those expense savings, changes in general economic and financial market conditions, including equity market valuations and the level of interest rates, changes in client utilization of money market mutual funds, and other factors set forth in the company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008.

About Charles Schwab

The Charles Schwab Corporation (Nasdaq:SCHW) is a leading provider of financial services, with more than 300 offices and 7.5 million client brokerage accounts, 1.5 million corporate retirement plan participants, 508,000 banking accounts, and $1.1 trillion in client assets. Through its operating subsidiaries, the company provides a full range of securities brokerage, banking, money management and financial advisory services to individual investors and independent investment advisors. Its broker-dealer subsidiary, Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (member SIPC, www.sipc.org), and affiliates offer a complete range of investment services and products including an extensive selection of mutual funds; financial planning and investment advice; retirement plan and equity compensation plan services; referrals to independent fee-based investment advisors; and custodial, operational and trading support for independent, fee-based investment advisors through its Advisor Services division. The Charles Schwab Bank (member FDIC) provides banking and mortgage services and products. More information is available at www.schwab.com.

Noncredit portion of loss recognized in other comprehensive income (1)

136

-

Net impairment losses on securities (1)

(14

)

-

Total net revenues

1,111

1,307

Expenses Excluding Interest

Compensation and benefits

425

437

Professional services

60

84

Occupancy and equipment

81

74

Advertising and market development

58

76

Communications

53

52

Depreciation and amortization

42

38

Other

37

38

Total expenses excluding interest

756

799

Income before taxes on income

355

508

Taxes on income

(137

)

(203

)

Net Income

$

218

$

305

Weighted-Average Common Shares Outstanding — Diluted

1,156

1,159

Earnings Per Share — Basic

$

.19

$

.27

Earnings Per Share — Diluted

$

.19

$

.26

Dividends Declared Per Common Share

$

.06

$

.05

(1)

The Financial Accounting Standards Board issued a FASB Staff Position entitled “Recognition and Presentation of Other-Than-Temporary Impairments” on April 9, 2009, that establishes new requirements for measuring and presenting other-than-temporary impairment charges on securities available for sale and securities held to maturity. The Company adopted the new requirements in the first quarter of 2009. Due to further deterioration of underlying collateral, the Company recorded a net impairment charge of $14 million on certain non-agency mortgage-backed securities during the first quarter of 2009. Under the new requirements, the Company is required to present the total impairment loss relating to these securities, which is based on current fair values, as well as the noncredit portion of that loss, which is the amount of impairment loss the Company does not expect to realize. Combined, these net to the impairment recognized in earnings. The noncredit related portion of the impairment is not recorded in earnings, but reflected as an unrealized loss in accumulated other comprehensive loss (a component of stockholders' equity) on the consolidated balance sheet.

See Notes to Consolidated Statements of Income and Financial and Operating Highlights.

The first quarter of 2009 includes a $26 million gain relating to the repurchase of junior subordinated notes.

(2)

The first quarter of 2009 includes credit related other-than-temporary impairment losses on securities available for sale of $14 million. The fourth quarter and third quarter of 2008 include losses on sales of securities available for sale.

(3)

The first quarter of 2009, and fourth quarter, third quarter, and second quarter of 2008 include $19 million, $5 million, $8 million, and $16 million, respectively, for individual client complaints and arbitration claims relating to Schwab YieldPlus Fund® investments (collectively YieldPlus Expenses). In addition, the YieldPlus Expenses in the first quarter of 2009 are offset by $30 million of insurance recoveries, resulting in a net credit of $11 million in other expense for the quarter.

(4)

The second quarter of 2008 includes an $18 million adjustment to finalize the income tax gain related to the sale of U.S. Trust Corporation.

(5)

Includes all client trades that generate either commission revenue or revenue from principal markups (i.e., fixed income); also known as DART.

(6)

Includes eligible trades executed by clients who participate in one or more of the Company's asset-based pricing relationships.

N/M

Not meaningful.

See Notes to Consolidated Statements of Income and Financial and Operating Highlights.

THE CHARLES SCHWAB CORPORATIONNotes to Consolidated Statements of Income and Financial and Operating Highlights(Unaudited)

The CompanyThe consolidated statements of income and financial and operating highlights include The Charles Schwab Corporation (CSC) and its majority-owned subsidiaries (collectively referred to as the Company), including Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. and Charles Schwab Bank. The consolidated statements of income and financial and operating highlights should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008.